The Spinnaker December 2022

THE SPINNAKER

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

by Jason Shroyer, Director of Public Works

Who doesn’t love the holiday season (besides those who may have worked in retail)? There is a chill in the air (sorry, Doug), our homes are filled with the scent of food and the noise of good company, and there is excitement about the season. During this time of thanksgiving and fellowship, I think it’s important to remind ourselves why we chose the profession of serving

In high school, I was assigned a project in which I was supposed to decide on a future profession and then interview someone currently performing that work For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an engineer, so I chose to interview an engineer. This particular engineer also happened to be my uncle, who we all affectionately call Uncle Joe.

During this interview, he said something that changed my perception of the field of engineering and the meaning of service. He said that he got into engineering because it was cutting edge, and the industry was booming. Yet, despite that excitement, he stayed because of the positive impact that his work was having on people’s lives

Until then, I don’t think that I ever really thought about the result of our work and its impact on the lives of the people we serve

We are in the service business, and no matter the job title, description, or position, at the end of the day, we are all here to serve That service may benefit the employees of this organization, the community residents,or visitors who come into our town daily. So whether we are rebuilding a road, responding to an inquiry on social media, or helping someone with a building permit, our goal is to provide the best possible service to this community.

Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give What is the use of living if not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?” This quote perfectly illustrates the heart of public service and why we are here. This time of year can be hectic and sometimes stressful, but our mission does not change. When things get crazy, remember why we are here and how important your work is. Remember that positive interaction with a customer or employee can completely change your day.

As we come to the end of this year, take a moment to reflect on all the positive impacts your service has had on the lives around you. Rejoice in the thought that the work you’ve done this past year will positively impact the people, community, or infrastructure for long into the future. Finally, take time to reaffirm your commitment to the true meaning of public service

SAVE THE DATE

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

ABOARD!

NEW TEAM MEMBERS

Brittany Tomlinson

Hannah Laurent

Jaime Miranda

Austin Gomez

Ethan Hall

Jared Collier

Jarrett Bell

Carrie Galloway

Stephen Gill

Angel Sosa

Celeste Bahena

Matt Kalevik

STAY CONNECTED

EMPLOYEE SMS TEXT PROGRAM

The Town offers a SMS text notification program to increase communication to team members.

This program allows us to push updates regarding Town events, Benefit/Wellness Information, FYIs, and general information that employees may find valuable.

The program uses our Little Elm Alerts platform, Genasys, to send SMS notifications to your cell phone. Employees must opt in to the text message program by signing up here. If you do not opt in, you will not receive SMS text notifications. Scan the QR code to the left to sign up or visit https://qrco.de/bdIFEd.

MILESTONES BIRTHDAYS

Shelly Newell 12/1

Oscar Sanchez 12/2

Zachary Gonzales 12/3

Debranton Williams 12/3

Evan Dostal 12/6

Ethan Halsey 12/6

Jacob Halsey 12/6

Cynthia Medrano 12/6

Michael Moore 12/8

Terron Morris 12/8

Jessica Boatwright 12/9

Travis Calendine 12/9

Colten Davis 12/12

Larry Denison 12/14

Brent Black 12/15

Chase Capizzi 12/15

Kevin LaRocca 12/16

Darielle Neal 12/16

Megan Lescallett 12/17

Connor Chisholm 12/22

Austin Gomez 12/22

Todd Dutschke 12/23

Andres Armentero 12/23

Martin Zamora 12/23

Christina Le 12/24

Jennette Espinosa 12/26

Joshua Patterson 12/27

John Shields 12/27

Dianne Lawson 12/28

Missy Meador 12/28 Olivia Lopez 12/30

John Samples 12/30

MILESTONES ANNIVERSARIES

John Samples 18 years

Clif Anderson 17 years

Kelley Anderson 15 years

Marcus Maxie 13 years

William Beck 10 years

James Loney 10 years

Travis Calendine 9 years Clif Holliefield 8 years

Therese Hoofnagle 8 years

Candice Reza 8 years

Maria McCracken 4 years

Brenda Comstock 4 years Rebecca Hunter 4 years Jaysaree Unni 4 years

Shea Robinson 4 years

Callie Hastings 3 years

Benjamin Wollet 2 years

George Cornelious 1 year Ryan Guenther 1 year Benjamin Hanson 1 year Kimberly Kruid 1 year

Kevin LaRocca 1 year Connie Owen 1 year Elizabeth Peterson 1 year Lisa Uhlich 1year

The holiday season is upon us, and the time of year when we start to see all of the vendor gifts coming in from the various companies we do business with or those who want to do business with us. But, along with the gifts come ethical issues and considerations.

Several of the ethical tenets in our Code of Ethics, such as "Maintain the Public Trust," "Never use your Position for Personal Gain," and "Avoid all instances of Conflict of Interest," can come into play when considering the ethical implications of the gifts that start pouring into our departments over the holidays.

While there are legal prohibitions on accepting gifts above a specific dollar amount threshold (which is a good thing to have as it provides guidance), the value of the gift is only part of the consideration. All gifts that are given to us in our official capacities have the intention of gaining favor with us, and this is what can lead to a conflict of interest

That favor that is sought could be for different reasons. If the gift is from a vendor, the intention is to make us think highly of their business and increase the likelihood that we will utilize their service or product If the gift is from someone, we regulate, such as a builder, developer, etc, and they are giving us the gift in the hope that we will take it easy on them and maybe not hold them so strictly to the regulations we have to enforce. Even if these gifts do not have the desired effect, the appearance of this conflict of interest can erode the trust of those we serve and make others question our objectivity

Being offered a gift can make us feel good and appreciated. But, unfortunately, as I have said before, when we are given an advantage in this way, it is not because they like us; it is because of the title or position that we hold. This is where our ethical tenet of "Never use your Position for Personal Gain" comes in. We are servant leaders, and other than the salary and benefits of our position, we should not seek perks due to the jobs we hold.

So what do we do during the holiday when gifts come into our various departments? It is often impractical or impossible to send back gift baskets or turn away gift deliveries. We take many of the ethical concerns away if we eliminate the individual personal gain that can come from a gift.

In this organization, when anyone is given sports tickets, free passes, etc., we raffle them off inside the organization, so everyone has an equal chance at getting them. Likewise, when a luxury fruit basket or goodie bag comes into the department, it is placed in a common area where everyone can share the food or goodies. Finally, when an item arrives that may be of value, it is used as a door prize for our employee events. I don't know if these methods are perfect, but they are the most practical ways to deal with this ethical question.

YOUR PICTURES &

Planning Manager Rachel Mendoza celebrated her birthday by jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

Management Analyst Amanda Black took a solo trip to the Everglades over Thanksgiving break.

YOUR PICTURES & GOOD NEWS

Public Works Administrative Assistant Jenny

Water Meter Technician Bubba Welch's daughter Naomi received a trophy for high point at Hunt County Horseman’s Association. This is her first year to compete. Naomi is also officially a horse owner! The Welch family welcomed Jazz this year!

Fleet Services Clerk Cathy McNamara had a fun trip to Arizona for Thanksgiving!